Déjà Vu
by jjscm01
Summary: Alternative take on Joe's dive into the quarry.
1. Leap of Faith

"Joe!" Noah shouted.

His brother didn't surface. Noah stumbled to the edge of the quarry. In a panic, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He pressed 999, his hands shaking.

"Hello? Ambulance, please. It's my brother, he's jumped into the quarry..."

The person on the other end of the call was calm, asking questions and telling him the ambulance was on its way. She paused when Noah said that Joe was still in the water. "Can you get him out?"

"I don't know..." Noah looked desperately over the edge again, then saw Joe's phone lying on the ground where Joe had left it. Suddenly hit by an idea, he dropped his own phone and picked up Joe's. He tried several passcodes to unlock his brother's phone, including Joe's birthday, Debbie's birthday and Noah's own birthday, which he knew was a long shot. Finally he entered their father's date of birth, which he remembered from visiting the grave with his mum and Cain, and the phone unlocked. Scrolling through Joe's contacts with trembling fingers, he found the name he was looking for and pressed to call Graham's number.

"Joe?" said Graham's voice.

"Graham? It's Noah, you need to come to the quarry, Joe's in the water..."

Graham must have been nearby, because he came running around the corner before the ambulance arrived. Ignoring Noah, he stripped off his jacket and leapt into the water himself. Moments later he emerged, dragging Joe's unconscious form.

"Joe!" Noah hurried forward as Graham laid Joe on the ground, bending down to check Joe's breath.

"He's not breathing," said Graham tersely. He leaned in and began giving Joe mouth-to-mouth. Noah watched helplessly as Graham pumped Joe's chest rhythmically until a stream of water erupted from Joe's mouth. He remained unconscious, however.

"Where's the ambulance?" Graham shouted at Noah. He was answered by a siren in the distance which grew louder as the ambulance pulled up and several paramedics jumped out.

Joe was loaded onto a stretcher as Graham fired details at the paramedics. "Joseph Tate, aged 22, no known allergies..."

"What actually happened?" one of the paramedics asked, as Joe was carried into the ambulance.

"He jumped off the edge," said Noah, in response to Graham's look. "It were only a dare, I didn't think he'd actually do it..."

"Looks like he hit his head on the way down. He may have other injuries as well." The paramedic looked at Graham. "Did you move him?"

"I had to, he was still under water."

The ambulance was ready to go. "Are you both coming with him?" asked the paramedic.

"Yes," said Noah instantly.

"No," said Graham at the same time, picking up his jacket. "I'll come to the hospital. Noah, you go and tell your mother and Debbie what's happened."

"But I wanna stay with him-"

"Just go, Noah, you've done enough."

Graham got in the ambulance, the paramedic shutting the doors behind him. Noah watched as the sirens started up again and the vehicle roared away.

...

At the hospital, Graham followed Joe's stretcher down the corridor until Joe was taken into a private room to be checked over. Then all he could do was wait, watching doctors and nurses go to and fro until one of the nurses came to talk to him.

"Hello, I understand you came in with Joseph Tate?"

"How is he?" Graham got to his feet.

"Are you his next of kin?" the nurse asked delicately.

"I am. Well, I was his legal guardian."

"Mr Tate is still unconscious. However, he didn't inhale much water and his head injury is not thought to be serious."

"That's good news."

"However, we may need permission to operate on Mr Tate if he doesn't regain consciousness in time."

"Operate for what?"

The nurse paused. "He may have spinal injuries."

Graham felt a chill go through him at these words. "How serious?"

"It's impossible to say at this stage."

"Is this because I moved him?"

"It's impossible to say," the nurse repeated. "But you saved his life, by the sounds of it."

Graham swallowed hard, making a decision. "Bring me the consent forms. I'll sign whatever you need."

Once Joe had gone into surgery, Graham retrieved his phone from his jacket pocket. He had several missed calls from Joe's phone, which Noah must still have. Ignoring these, he searched for Zoe's number. He had last heard from her five years ago, after he had messaged to let her know that Joe was safely back in England. One very short text, saying _He's all yours_ in response.

Whatever had happened between Joe and his aunt, Zoe needed to know about this. He pressed her number, hoping that she hadn't changed it and praying that Joe hadn't taken his desire to be like his father too far.


	2. Family Betrayals

**A/N:** While still PG-rated in keeping with the show, there is some mild sexual content in this chapter.

...

 _New Zealand, 2013_

Zoe ran downstairs in a state of shock. She'd arrived home after dropping Jean early at her friend's house, having left Lara at the villa with Joseph five hours ago, hoping they would keep each other company. She'd got back to find the place apparently deserted. Maybe Lara had taken Joseph out somewhere. Heading upstairs for a lie down, she'd heard noises coming from Joseph's bedroom. Furious that he could have taken advantage of her absence to bring a girl back, she'd opened the bedroom door to see Joseph and Lara wrapped around each other. It felt like the floor had given way beneath her and she had fled. She thought she heard Joseph give a slightly shocked laugh as she ran.

Going into the kitchen, Zoe immediately started pouring herself a drink. A recent photograph of herself, Joseph and Jean smiled at her from the nearest shelf. She resisted the urge to knock it to the ground.

"Zoe!" Lara hurried into the room, still arranging her clothes.

Zoe pointed a finger at her. "Please, tell me this is some kind of sick joke."

Lara shook her head, distressed. "I'm so sorry, it just happened. It was a terrible mistake."

"You and Joseph? You and my _nephew_?" Zoe felt close to hysteria. "How could that just happen?"

"It was him, I swear. I never meant..."

"He's only just 18," Zoe snapped. "You're meant to be the adult..." As she spoke, she realised that Lara, at 29, was closer in age to Joseph than to Zoe's 45. The age difference had never mattered before.

Zoe forced herself to calm down. She could already hear the voices starting up in her head as her stress levels rose. She took a deep breath. "Was this the first time this has happened?"

"Yes! I swear." Lara's accent got stronger when she was agitated.

"How then?"

"We just got talking, and drinking." Lara hung her head. "He was telling me about his parents..."

Zoe rolled her eyes. She could just see Joseph using Chris and Rachel's deaths to manipulate Lara into feeling sorry for him.

"And then what? One of you said 'Hey, Zoe's out all day, let's hop into bed quickly before she comes home'?"

"I wasn't thinking," said Lara tearfully. "You've been out a lot lately... I know it's no excuse, but Joe paid attention to me. He kissed me and..."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear all the details!" Zoe glared at the woman she had thought she had loved. She remembered Joseph's comment when she had first introduced them, _"She's prettier than the last one."_ At the time she had dismissed it as a typical Joseph comment, but now it made her feel sick. "Just leave. Get out of my sight."

Lara nodded. "I'm so sorry." She gave Zoe one last look as she left. Zoe waited until she had gone before breaking down.

...

Joseph emerged fully dressed while Zoe was still standing in the kitchen, wondering what to do. "Jean not back yet?" he asked, helping himself to a glass of water.

Zoe put her glass down on the table. "Lara's gone. Our relationship is over."

"Really, why?" said Joseph in mock concern.

Zoe shook her head. "I don't know what the point of this was, Joseph, but I hope you got something out of it. You know Jean's going to be heartbroken?"

"Well, it's not that different to you screwing Charity behind Dad's back, is it?"

That brought Zoe up short. "How do you..."

"Know about that? The same way I know about Dad paying Charity for sex, or Cain and Charity's antics. I was there. I was a child, not deaf!"

"Well, if this was revenge on your father's behalf he wouldn't thank you for it," Zoe said, wondering how long Joseph had been waiting for an opportunity like this. "We forgave each other everything."

"And you'll forgive me and Lara eventually, so let's skip all the shouting." Joe opened one of the cupboards. "Have we got any tea?"

Zoe smashed the glass out of Joseph's hand. "Go and pack your bags. I want you gone by the time Jean gets back."

"I'm not leaving for another week, remember?"

"Oh yes, you are. I want you on the next flight back to England. Graham can deal with you from now on."

"You're abandoning me again? What would Dad say about that? First you pack me off to school in another country, then you sign me over to another guardian..."

"You know I had to, they would've expelled you!"

"You couldn't wait to get rid of me. I was just too much trouble for you, next to sweet little Jeanie."

"And you've had your last chance." Zoe's voice shook but she stood firm, eye to eye with the taller young man. "Go and pack."

...

"I thought Joe had another week here," said Jean the next morning over breakfast.

"He had to go early." Zoe wasn't eating.

"Why would he leave without saying goodbye?" Jean persisted. "He hasn't texted me. And where's Lara?"

"Jean, please!" Zoe snapped.

Jean reluctantly stopped asking questions. Zoe went into work to find that Lara had quit the surgery without notice. A small jealous part of her wondered if she had gone with Joseph, until she received a text from Graham a few days later saying that Joe had landed safely, presumably alone.

What hurt the most wasn't losing Lara, it was losing the nephew she had fallen in love with as a baby, back when she thought she would never have a child of her own. The little boy she had held in her arms at Chris's funeral. But when she remembered Joe's parting shot about her mental illness, the low blow that had made her slap him across the face, she knew she had done the right thing.


	3. Breaking the News

Noah entered the Woolpack, his eyes still red from crying. Debbie was standing at the bar, talking to their mother.

"Oh, there you are," said Charity. "Where've you been? And don't say school, because they've been on the phone."

"You can't keep bunking off, Noah," Debbie turned and saw the look on her brother's face. "What's wrong?"

Noah threw himself into Debbie's arms. "It's Joe," he sobbed.

Debbie sat Noah down at one of the tables while Charity came over. Noah explained what had happened through more tears. "And it's all my fault, cos I dared him."

"He's a grown man, Noah," said Charity.

"Yeah, no one can make Joe do anything he doesn't want to," Debbie reassured him.

"Graham said it were my fault." Noah pulled Joe's phone out of his pocket. "I need to call him, see how Joe's doing."

"Where did you get that?" Charity gawped at the flashy iPhone.

"It's Joe's. I had to use it to call Graham." Noah entered his dad's birthday to unlock Joe's phone again and called Graham's number, but there was no answer.

"He'll call us if there's any news," Charity said.

"Why isn't he answering? It must be bad, if he's not answering." Noah tried to call Graham again while Debbie excused herself and headed for the Woolpack toilets. After looking at Noah, who was still clutching Joe's phone to his ear, Charity followed her daughter and found her standing over the sink, tears running down her face.

"Debs?"

"I know I shouldn't care." Debbie grabbed a paper towel to wipe at her face. "Not after everything he's done, but..."

Charity put an arm around her. "He'll be fine, babes. He's tough, like his dad." Debbie pushed past her mother and stormed upstairs.

"Babe!" Charity called after her. "I didn't mean it like that!"

...

Zoe's phone was ringing. She turned over in her darkened bedroom to reach for the mobile. It was 4 o clock in the morning. She saw the name calling and picked up the phone with a sense of dread. There was no good reason why Graham Foster should be calling her at this time.

"Hello?" She pressed the phone to her ear.

"Zoe, it's Graham. Sorry, I know it's late there..."

"It's early, actually." Zoe sat up in bed. "What's the matter?"

"It's Joe. He's been in an accident." Graham sounded like he was struggling to speak. "He's in Hotten General."

"How serious?" Zoe tried to remain calm. She knew perfectly well that Graham wouldn't be calling if it wasn't serious.

"They don't know yet. They're operating now." Graham paused. "They think he may have spinal injuries."

Zoe felt a chill go through her, hearing the same words she had heard 25 years ago after Chris's accident. "What happened?"

"He jumped into a quarry. It was a dare by his brother."

"His brother?" Zoe was fully awake now. "You don't mean... Christopher?"

"His brother's name is Noah," said Graham, not understanding.

"I don't understand." Zoe rubbed her eyes. "Joseph is in touch with Noah? When did this happen?"

"He's been living in Emmerdale for a few months now. He bought back Home Farm. He had this revenge crusade against Charity, but I think he's over that now."

"Charity," Zoe repeated. "But she left the village?"

"Well, she's back now. I just thought you should know what's happened."

"Graham, listen. I need to get Jean to school, but then I'll be on the first flight out there."

"That may not be necessary."

"I'm coming, Graham." Zoe held back her tears. "When Joseph wakes up, tell him... I'm on my way."

"OK. I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

Zoe hung up and then immediately thought of at least ten other questions she should have asked. Getting out of bed, she started to pack some things together, wondering what she was going to tell Jean when her daughter woke up.


	4. Attachment Issues

_2008_

 _"Who's this, Joe?"_

 _One of Joe's dormmates was waving a picture frame at him. Joe recognised the photo immediately. It showed his father turned sideways in his wheelchair, holding up a very young Joseph - he couldn't have been more than three - and gazing at his son. It was Joe's favourite picture of the two of them, and he had hidden it well amongst his possessions._

 _"Is that your old man, Joe? You never said he was a cripple?" Mark Jeffers continued to dangle the photo at Joe, taunting him._

 _Joe reached for it. "Give it back."_

 _"Didn't you say your dad used to take you hiking in the woods? Must have been some hike?" The other boys in the dorm were laughing along with Jeffers._

 _"I said, give it to me." Joe made a grab for the frame, but Jeffers threw it on one of the beds, where another boy grabbed it. Joe was taller than the rest of them, but outnumbered._

 _"Give me my property!" Joe shouted._

 _"Why? You're obviously ashamed of him or you wouldn't have lied..."_

 _"I'm not ashamed!" Joe grabbed Jeffers by the shirt and pushed him against a wall, feeling a rage he had never felt before. He was repeatedly punching Jeffers before he knew what he was doing. The other boys were trying to pull him off, but he hit out at them too, anger giving him strength he didn't know he had._

 _"Tate!"_

 _One of the older prefects had entered the dorm. Joe released Jeffers and stood up, his anger ebbing away._

 _"Get up." The prefect pulled Jeffers to his feet. There was blood coming from his nose. "Go to the nurse." He turned to the others. "What happened?"_

 _"Tate went mental, sir," said one of them promptly. The other three concurred._

 _"I'll have to report this." The prefect glared at Joe. "You stay here. The rest of you, get out."_

 _The other boys filed out, one of them silently handing Joe the photograph as he walked past._

...

Joe woke up feeling groggy. He was lying in a bed that felt unfamiliar. He turned his head to see Graham sitting at his bedside.

"Joe?" Graham sat forward when he saw he was awake.

"Where am I?" Joe strained to remember how he had got here. The last thing he recalled was being at the quarry with Noah.

"You jumped into the quarry," Graham told him. "You hurt yourself. They had to operate."

Now Graham mentioned it, Joe could remember the jump, but nothing else. He wanted something to drink. He tried to sit up, but soon realised that something was wrong.

"I can't move my legs. Graham? What's wrong with my legs?"

"Shh." Graham reached for Joe's hand. "I'll go and get the doctor."

"Graham? Graham!" Joe kept trying to sit up while Graham went to look for a doctor, his face set.

...

 _2010_

 _Joe drummed his fingers on the desk in the headmaster's office. The headmaster, Mr Pritchard, had been droning on for ten minutes and didn't appear to be approaching any kind of point._

 _"... behaviour can't continue," Pritchard finally concluded. "You've been formally warned about fighting with the other boys."_

 _Joe rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, five against one. I'm obviously the troublemaker."_

 _"You're a bright lad, Joseph," said the headteacher patronisingly. "You could do really well if you applied yourself..."_

 _Joe tuned out again. The last time he had been in this office, he had been sent to a child psychologist who had asked him a series of pointless questions and then diagnosed him with 'attachment issues' resulting from not having a stable parental figure. He caught the word 'Zoe' in amongst Pritchard's witterings and paid attention._

 _"Last time I spoke to your aunt, I made it clear that if there were any further incidents I would have to consider the possibility of exclusion. I'm sure you don't want that..."_

 _Actually, Joe wasn't that bothered if he was expelled or 'excluded' as it was more politely termed. He would get his inheritance in a few years time and then he could start his own business, like his father and grandfather. He didn't need GCSEs or A Levels. He didn't particularly want to go back to New Zealand, though. He wondered if Graham would take him in if he was expelled._

 _"... a very important year," the headmaster was saying gravely. "You'll be sitting your GCSEs at the end of it. If you can agree to put all this... silliness behind you, I'm sure you can achieve excellent results."_

 _Joe held back a yawn as Pritchard got to his feet. He walked over to the large cupboard in the corner, the one containing all the students' files. "I'll need to make a note of this conversation..."_

 _As he stepped into the cupboard, Joe got up too on impulse and followed Pritchard. As the headmaster rifled through the 'T' drawer, Joe shut the cupboard door and slid the bolt on the outside to lock it. He turned and scanned the office desk for anything useful before turning and heading for the outer door._

 _"Joseph?" Pritchard immediately began banging on the cupboard door. "Open this door immediately!"_

 _Joe ignored him, slipping his hands into his pockets and sauntering out of the room._

 _"Joseph Tate, if you don't open this door immediately you will be expelled!"_

 _As if he cared. Joe smirked as he walked down the corridor, ignoring the bangs still coming from inside the office._

...

Graham was sitting out in the waiting room when Noah arrived with Charity in tow. "What are you two doing here?"

"We're here to see Joe." Noah looked like he'd been crying. "Where is he?"

"He's resting. Now's not a good time."

"He woke up, then?" asked Charity. Turning to Noah, she said, "Told you he'd be fine."

"He's just come around from general anaesthetic. They had to operate on his spine." Graham didn't attempt to soften his words. "They don't know if he'll ever walk again."

"Oh my god..." Charity gaped at him, while Noah looked horrified.

"So you two should probably leave."

"Let me see him," said Noah. "I wanna talk to him..."

"He's just finished talking to the doctor. He needs rest."

"It might help to see his brother, Graham," said Charity.

Graham thought about this. "Come back tomorrow night. Your aunt Zoe should be here by then," he added.

Charity didn't react to that. Putting her arm around Noah, she said, "Will you tell him we were here?"

Graham nodded and watched them walk away before making his way back to Joe's room, not yet knowing what he was going to say to him.


	5. The Return

Joe was awake when Graham entered his room. He was looking into the distance, and didn't acknowledge Graham when he sat down.

"Noah and Charity were here," Graham said, just for something to say. "I told them to come back tomorrow."

"Bet Charity's happy," said Joe dully.

"Of course not. They're both worried about you." Joe didn't respond. "I called Zoe, too," said Graham, looking down. "She's getting the first flight out."

Joe laughed. "It must be bad, if she's flying across the world to see the black sheep."

"What did the doctor say?" Graham asked, although he had a pretty good idea.

"They want to do some more tests. Basically they don't know anything."

"Well, they obviously think there's hope if they're running tests," Graham pointed out.

"They probably said the same thing to my dad." Joe closed his eyes.

"Medicine has moved on since then." Graham wanted to believe it himself. "You can afford to pay for the best care..."

"Some things can't be fixed with money," Joe spat. "You think my dad didn't try all the possible treatments?"

"You're not your father, Joe. Like you said, they just don't know yet."

"Yeah, and no news is good news, right?" Joe said bitterly.

"Maybe I should let you get some rest." Graham stood up. "I'll go back to Home Farm, get some of your things. I'll be back in an hour or so."

Joe didn't say anything, so Graham turned to leave. At the door, he stopped and asked quietly, "Why did you jump?"

Joe finally looked at Graham. "It was a dare."

...

 _The groundsman's hut was on fire. Joe saw it from a distance and broke into a run before he knew what he was doing._

 _Joe banged on the door to the hut but it was locked. "Graham!" he screamed. He looked through the window and could see Graham slumped in a chair, an empty bottle lying at his side. "Graham! Open the door!"_

 _Graham was clearly asleep or unconscious. In desperation Joe grabbed a rock that was lying on the ground and smashed the window. Reaching inside, he opened the window and hauled himself up. He managed to squeeze through the small space and dropped to the floor. There was smoke everywhere. The fire was coming from a chip pan on the oven._

 _Joe ran to the front door, unlocked it and threw it open. He was already coughing from the smoke. Running over to where Graham sat, he tried to wake him by shaking him. When that failed, he grabbed the older man and started dragging him towards the door. Graham was heavier than he expected, but Joe's arms were strong now from all the time spent in the school gym. Finally, he managed to get Graham outside into the open air. He bent down to check if Graham was breathing._

 _"Graham?" Joe couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. He had no idea how to do CPR, and he'd left his phone in his dorm so he couldn't call an ambulance or the fire brigade._

 _"GRAHAM!" Joe shouted. After what seemed like an eternity, Graham's eyes opened and he started to cough. "Joe?" he choked._

 _"Wait here," said Joe, fighting back tears. "I'll go and get help."_

 _"Joe..." Graham grabbed at Joe's shirt and Joe leaned in so he could hear him. Graham's voice was faint. "You... should've... left me... in there."_

 _Graham sunk back on the ground and his eyes closed._

...

Noah had spent a sleepless night worrying about Joe. "I'm not going to school," he said, as soon as he saw Charity at the breakfast table.

Charity sighed. "Fine. We'll go up to the hospital later."

By lunchtime word had got around the Woolpack about Joe's injuries.

"So they don't know how bad it is yet?" asked Moira.

"It didn't sound good, from what Graham said," Cain responded.

"Aye, well he's always miserable," said Kerry. Dan nodded.

"I never thought I'd say this," said Marlon guiltily. "But I hope he'll be alright."

"I wonder if anyone's called Zoe?" said Paddy pensively.

"Graham probably has," Chas reassured him from behind the bar.

"Why are you all acting like you care?" burst out Noah. They turned to see him standing next to the bar. "You all hate Joe! You'd be happy if he died!"

He turned and ran back upstairs, pushing past Charity.

"He's upset," she said quietly to the crowd around the bar.

"I'll go and talk to him." Cain put down his pint.

"Actually, maybe I should," said a voice behind him. Graham had entered the pub, looking more weary than usual.

"How is he?" asked Chas.

"He's asleep. The doctors had to sedate him, once the general anaesthetic wore off."

"Shouldn't you be with him now?" asked Charity.

"I spent most of last night and all this morning at the hospital. I just thought I should come and get Noah, give him a chance to visit his brother. I was a little harsh on him yesterday..."

"Yeah, you can take him to the hospital." Charity didn't bother to hide her relief that she wouldn't be required to visit Joe. "I'll go get him."

...

It was nearly 8pm by the time Zoe arrived at Hotten General. She had got the 6am flight from Auckland to London, then flown from Heathrow to the newly built Hotten Airport. She had managed to sleep on the plane, but that wasn't helping her jet lag. Her body thought that it was morning now.

The hospital hadn't changed much in the years that she had been away. She had many memories of this place, of visiting Frank after his heart attacks, Chris after the plane crash, Rachel when Joseph was born, giving birth to Jean...

Heading straight for reception, she asked for Joseph Tate and was directed to the spinal unit. In the unit, a nurse pointed her towards Joe's room, and she saw Graham emerging from behind the door.

"Graham?" Zoe hurried over, but was stopped in her tracks by the sight of a teenage boy who had stepped out behind Graham.

"Who are you?" asked the boy in a broad accent. Zoe didn't need to ask who he was. He looked like a cross between Chris and Charity.

"Noah, meet your aunt," said Graham. "Joe's still sleeping. We were going to get a coffee..." His eyes slid down to the small suitcase at Zoe's side.

"Let me see my nephew first." Zoe wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Graham nodded and stepped aside. Zoe took one last look at Noah before going into Joe's room.


	6. Reunions

Zoe stepped quietly into the hospital room. Joe was asleep, wearing a neck brace. There were a few cuts on his face. Her nephew looked young and vulnerable.

Zoe approached the bed. "Joseph?" she said softly. There was no response, just Joe's even breathing. She sat and watched him for a few minutes, then got up and left him sleeping.

Graham looked over his shoulder as Zoe came back out. "What are the doctors saying?" she asked tersely.

"They don't know yet. They need to run some more tests."

Zoe looked around. "Where's Noah?"

"I sent him to get some coffees. He's very upset right now. He blames himself for Joe's accident."

"How did this happen, Graham?" Zoe's voice came out louder than she intended. "I left my nephew in your care. How did he end up here?"

"He's a grown man, Zoe. I couldn't control him any more than you could."

"Meaning what?"

Graham could feel some of his frustration from the past 24 hours rising. "From what Joe said, you told him never to darken your door again."

"So this is my fault?"

"No, it's nobody's fault. It's just an accident."

Zoe looked back at Joe, who was still unresponsive.

"I'm sorry." She took a deep breath. "It's just... this is the last thing Chris would've wanted for him."

Graham put his hand on Zoe's shoulder. "Maybe you're right, maybe I should have seen that he was going to do something like this."

"I wanted to contact him." Zoe sounded full of guilt and regret. "I thought he'd be better off in England with you. You were always so much better with him than I was."

"He needed both of us," said Graham. "We both could have been better parents to him."

"We're not his parents." Zoe pushed jet black hair back from her face. "We couldn't have given him a stable home life."

"You knew how I felt about you," Graham pointed out.

"And you knew it could never go anywhere." Zoe's dark eyes met his. "I tried being in a relationship with a man once, for Jean's sake. It didn't end well."

Before Graham could respond, Noah appeared holding a tray with three paper cups. "Here you go," he said, handing a cup to Graham. "I didn't know how you like it," he added, turning to Zoe. "So I got milk and sugars..."

"Thank you." Zoe took one of the other cups. She turned to Graham. "Could I speak to Noah alone for a moment?"

"Of course. I'll stay with Joe."

Zoe led Noah over to some empty seats and they sat down together.

"So you're my auntie?" Noah asked.

"Yes." Zoe smiled. "Last time I saw you you were a baby."

"Joe said that I lived with you, when I were first born."

"You did, yes."

Noah waited and when Zoe didn't elaborate, he asked, "So why did you give me up?"

Zoe sighed. "That wasn't my choice, Noah. The courts decided that you were better off with your mother. I had psychiatric problems, and I already had Joseph and Jean to look after..."

"You still could have stayed in touch. I could've still known my brother, instead of moving around with mum, having a different dad every week."

"I'm sorry." Zoe took his hand. "It was just too painful, after losing Chris."

"What about Joe? He said you hadn't been in touch for ages. Why'd you stop talking to him?"

"It's complicated, Noah."

"More complicated than Joe sleeping with Debbie under a false name and calling her a prostitute?"

"He did _what?_ "

"Zoe?" Graham appeared at their side. "Joe's waking up."

...

Joe was dimly award of voices around him. The familiar hospital-smell reminded him where he was. He recalled his father's hatred of hospitals, could almost hear his voice saying _Zoe, I wouldn't go back there if you paid me_. He thought he could hear Zoe's voice as well.

"Joseph?" Zoe leaned over him. "Can you hear me?"

"Zoe?" Joe croaked. She was here, he wasn't imagining it. He could see Graham and Noah over her shoulder.

"I'll get the doctor." Graham vanished behind the door.

"Joe?" Noah approached the bed. "I brought your phone back." He put Joe's iPhone on the nearby stand.

"Thanks." Joe closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again his aunt and brother were still watching him anxiously. "Sit down, then."

Zoe and Noah sat on opposite sides of the bed. "I'm so sorry, Joe," said Noah. "This is all my fault."

"Of course it isn't." Joe reached for Noah's hand. "I'm glad you're here."

Zoe smiled at this display of brotherly affection. Joe turned his head towards his aunt. "Is Jean here too?"

"No. She wanted to come, but I thought... with school..."

Joe nodded as much as he could.

"I'll just go and see where Graham is," said Noah, astutely sensing that they needed a moment alone. He got up and headed in the direction Graham had gone.

"How are you feeling?" Zoe asked Joe.

"My life's been flashing before my eyes." Joe rested his eyes again. "I'm sorry, Zoe. What happened with Lara..."

"Shh. It doesn't matter. Let's focus on getting you better."

"I just want to get out of here," Joe muttered. "I hate hospitals."

Zoe nodded. "Your dad always hated them, too."

"I know. I remember him telling you he wouldn't go back if you paid him."

Zoe laughed. "I don't remember that, but it sounds like Chris." Her face grew serious again. "I promise I'll get you out of here as soon as possible. I'll stay as long as it takes. I love you, Joseph."

"I love you, too."


	7. Questions

Several weeks passed before Joe was allowed to leave the hospital. His injuries weren't quite as severe as they had feared. Some feeling had returned to his lower half and the doctors thought he would be able to walk again, but it would take months of physiotherapy. In the meantime Graham had turned up with a state-of-the-art electric wheelchair which whizzed around at the touch of a button.

"How come Dad never had an electric wheelchair?" Joe asked Zoe, while experimenting with the chair's settings.

"He didn't want one."

"Oh." Joe stopped playing with the buttons and sat still.

"Are you ready?" asked Graham. "The car's outside..."

"Yeah, okay," said Joe. He felt strangely nervous about going back to Home Farm. Graham would be there with him, and Zoe had been staying there since her arrival in Emmerdale too. Jean was being looked after by a neighbour back in New Zealand.

"Have we got everything?" Zoe looked around the room. Her eyes fell on the leaflets Joe had been given by the doctors.

Joe stuffed the leaflets into his open bag. "Just give me a minute."

"We'll put your things in the car," said Graham.

Joe nodded. Graham and Zoe left him alone for a few minutes while he looked around and took a deep breath.

...

 _1999_

 _"Daddy, why are you always in that chair?"_

 _Chris looked up from the paperwork he was in the middle of. His son was playing with his train set on the floor of the Home Farm living room, his nanny Claudia having taken the day off._

 _As Joseph looked up expectantly, Chris cleared his throat. He'd always known he would have to have this conversation eventually, he just hadn't expected it today._

 _"Daddy was in an accident," he explained. "You know how trains can crash sometimes?" Joseph nodded. "Well, a plane crashed, into the village. And Daddy was hurt, and couldn't walk anymore. So he has to use this chair to get around."_

 _"Does it still hurt?" Joseph asked, looking concerned._

 _"No, not anymore."_

 _"Do other daddies have chairs?" Joseph returned to his train set, building a bridge for the blue train to go over._

 _"Some do. Most don't."_

 _"Will I have a chair, when I'm grown up?"_

 _"No," said Chris firmly. "It's not genetic..." Joseph looked confused. "I mean, it's not something you'll get from me. It was just an accident. It won't happen to you."_

 _"Oh, okay." Joseph seemed to consider this. "Do you like your chair?"_

 _On some days, Chris would say no, he hated it, his heart sunk every morning when he woke up knowing that he had another day in that thing. Looking into his son's innocent blue eyes now though, he said, "My chair helps me get around, and it means I can look after you, so yes, I like it." He paused, knowing it was selfish to ask. "Do you mind Daddy being in a chair?"_

 _"No." Joseph shook his head. "Not if it helps you." He suddenly sounded older than his four years._

 _Chris smiled. "So you wouldn't want a different Daddy?" he asked, keeping his voice light, slightly afraid of the answer._

 _"No. You're my Daddy."_

 _Chris nodded, a lump in his throat as he watched Joseph continue to play, making "choo, choo," noises._

 _"What are you two up to?" asked Zoe as she entered the room, looking from her brother at his desk to her nephew playing on the floor._

 _"Playing trains, Auntie Zoe," said Joseph solemnly._

 _"Did you build that track? You clever boy!" Zoe cooed as she ruffled Joseph's hair._

 _"When I grow up I'm going to have a hollage company, like Daddy," said Joseph cheerfully. "With lots of trucks..."_

 _Chris was still watching his son. "Do you want me to take Joseph for the afternoon?" Zoe asked him. "You must have a lot of work to do..."_

 _Chris glanced down at his paperwork. "Nah." He pushed it aside. "Let's all go out somewhere."_

 _"Can we go to the park?" Joseph asked immediately._

 _"Yeah, why not? Auntie Zoe can push you on the swings."_

 _"Yeah!" Joseph ran to get his coat, leaving his train set carefully arranged on the carpet._

 _"Are you feeling alright?" Zoe asked Chris._

 _"Of course. Let's go."_

...

They arrived back at Home Farm, Joe looking out of the window as the car pulled up. Then began the process of Joe moving from the car to his wheelchair, assisted by Graham. "Thanks," he mumbled.

Once inside, Graham went to make a pot of tea and Zoe took Joe's bags upstairs while Joe manoeuvred his chair through the house. He glanced at his exercise equipment, then looked away again. Finally he moved into the living room and settled next to the sofa.

Zoe had to do a double take when she entered the room to see Joe sitting in his chair, looking uncannily like his father. Joe looked at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Zoe sat down on the sofa next to him. Joe picked up a framed photo from the nearby table, of Chris holding a young Joseph up in his arms, and stared at it.

The doorbell rang while Graham was still in the kitchen. "I'll get it," Zoe called as she got up and went into the hall. She opened the front door to find Debbie standing there. The girl had been a teenager the last time Zoe saw her, but she still recognised her, from her resemblance to Charity if nothing else.

"Zoe," said Debbie uncertainly. "Noah said Joe was home..."

"Come on in." Zoe held the door open for her.

"Thanks." Debbie stepped gingerly into the hall. Zoe led her through to the living room where Joe was still looking at his father's photo.

"You've got a visitor."

"Hi," said Debbie.

"Hi," replied Joe.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Zoe asked Debbie.

"No thanks, I won't stay long."

"I'll leave you two to talk." Zoe departed, shutting the door behind her.

"I just wanted to see how you are," said Debbie.

"Yes, you've obviously been overflowing with concern." Joe looked off into the distance. "All those trips to the hospital..."

Debbie winced. "I'm sorry I didn't come to see you. I thought you would want to be left alone."

"A friend would have been nice."

"You've had Noah, and Graham, and Zoe..."

"Yeah." Joe looked down at his chair and put the photo down.

"So how long do they think..." Debbie gestured at the chair.

"They don't know. Could be weeks, could be months."

"I'm sorry, Joe."

"Why?" Joe asked. "Isn't this what you wanted? For me to be badly hurt?"

"I didn't," Debbie whispered. "Not really. I was just angry, and Simon..."

"You told him to mess me up. If Ross hadn't stolen my car I'd have been the one covered in acid. He was screaming, when we found him. If Graham hadn't been there—"

"Joe, don't!" Debbie's lips trembled.

"Don't what? Who do you think got the better deal, me or Ross?"

"You can't blame me for you jumping into that quarry."

"No, but I don't have to take your pity either. Not when this is what you wanted to begin with." Joe pointed at the door. "Get out."

"Joe—"

"Leave!"

Debbie nodded and left silently, tears running down her face.


	8. Karma Police

_2001_

 _"Daddy!"_

 _Joseph wailed plaintively as he sat in the muddy puddle he had landed in. His bicycle lay at his side, with no visible signs of damage except mud splatters. He'd taken the bike without anybody knowing as his dad was busy in his study and he'd felt like going for a ride. However, he'd come careening down the hill too fast and had come off the bike, landing in an uncomfortable position. His leg hurt beneath him._

 _He gave a sob as he looked around. It was the first bad fall he'd had since learning to ride a bike a couple of years ago. He could still remember the triumph of mastering the pedals, his dad's companion Terry running alongside him shouting encouragement, while his daddy watched with a strange, sad expression. Afterwards he had hugged Joseph and said how clever he was._

 _"Joseph!" called a voice behind him. He turned slightly to see a woman who was a bit older than his dad running towards him. He recognised her vaguely from the village. "Did you fall off your bike, love?"_

 _Joseph nodded, wiping tears from his face with muddy hands._

 _"You poor thing." The woman looked around. "Is anyone with you?" Joseph shook his head. "Well, let's have a look at you."_

 _She knelt down and rolled up Joseph's trouser leg to reveal a gash on his knee. He must have scraped a rock or a branch in his fall. Tears were still streaming down his face._

 _"Ow," said the woman sympathetically. "Can you stand up?"_

 _She took Joseph's hand and helped him to his feet. "I live in the cottage just there," she said, pointing. "Wishing Well Cottage. Tell you what, come home with me and I'll bandage you up." Joseph hesitated, remembering what his dad and auntie had said about strangers, but the woman's kindly face reasssured him. He held on to the woman's hand as she picked up his bike easily with her other arm._

 _He had just about got the tears under control by the time they entered the cottage. "You sit down, love," said the woman. "I'll get you some juice and biscuits."_

 _Joseph sat down on the tatty sofa in the corner, still sniffing slightly. The woman fetched him a drink and a plate of chocolate biscuits, which he munched on while she attended to his leg, cleaning the injury with warm water and putting a large plaster on. Then she wiped the tears and mud from his face with a tissue and wiped his hands clean. Joseph looked around the cottage which was so different to his own home, more lived-in, somehow. He was just thinking that he liked the cottage when the door opened and a man entered, with long black hair and a surly expression. He stopped dead when he saw Joseph._

 _"Oh, Cain," the woman greeted him. "Joe fell off his bike, just outside."_

 _"Right," said Cain, eyeing Joseph suspiciously as he joined the woman in the tiny kitchen. He dropped his voice. "What're you doing, bringing Tate's brat here?"_

 _"He hurt himself. I had to clean him up, poor little mite."_

 _"'Poor mite'," Cain sneered. "He'll be a millionaire, soon as wheels for legs pops his clogs."_

 _"Shh. I feel sorry for him, having no mother. And what's his dad thinking, letting him ride around the land on his own? I'll have to have a word."_

 _"You're gonna lay down the law to Chris Tate?" Cain scoffed. "Good luck with that, Lisa."_

 _"I'll take him back to Home Farm." Lisa held out her hand to Joseph, who put his drink down. Cain watched as his stepmother led the little boy out, the muddy bike clasped firmly beneath his fingers._

...

Joe woke up and turned his head to the side. His wheelchair was at the side of his bed. He'd slept in his dressing gown to make the getting up process easier. Slowly he pushed himself into a sitting position. He dragged himself from his bed to his chair, lifting one useless leg then the other, wondering how his father had done this day in, day out.

Once he was in his chair, he manoeuvred himself to his bedroom door, getting around it with difficulty. He wheeled across the hall and went downstairs using the stairlift that Graham had had installed while he was in hospital.

"Morning," Zoe greeted him in the kitchen. "You're up early."

"I always am."

"Not like your father, then," Zoe smiled as she poured them both coffee. "He favoured a lie in."

Joe didn't reply. He was thinking about his usual morning run, already missing the endorphins it gave him. He would have to find another form of exercise. He remembered seeing his father lift weights in his chair.

"Where's Graham?" he asked.

"Gone into the office," Zoe explained. "You'll be going back too soon, of course..."

Joe shrugged. He couldn't imagine going back to work any time soon, seeing the underlings who had feared him, the temps who had fancied him, looking at him with pity or avoiding looking at him at all.

There was a banging at the front door and Zoe went to answer it. Joe heard raised voices and Charity came storming past Zoe into the kitchen, saying, "Where is he?" Like Zoe, she did a double take when she saw Joe in his chair, looking particularly like his father without his usual hair products.

"Can I help you, Charity?" Joe asked politely, wishing he was dressed.

"You can't just come barging in here—" Zoe began.

"Quiet, Zoe," Charity snapped. "I wanna word with him."

"About?" said Joe.

"Our Debbie, that's what. She were in bits after what you said to her—"

"I only told the truth."

"After everything you've done to her!" Charity raged. "I dunno why she even cares."

"Joseph has just come home from hospital," Zoe said loudly. "Do you really think now is the right time to be shouting the odds?"

"When would be a good time then?" Charity pointed at Joe. "Whatever's happened to him, he's the same spoilt brat he always was! Just like his dad—"

"Don't you dare say a word against my father," said Joe coldly. "We were happy until he met you."

"Oh just keep telling yourself that!" Charity spat. "He was never happy with you, or he wouldn't have felt the need to bring me in, would he?"

"I think you should leave." Zoe was glaring at Charity. "Get out, before I throw you out."

Charity gave Joe a venomous look and turned to go. "Charity," he said quietly. "Tell Debbie I'm sorry."

Charity looked at Zoe, then nodded and left.

"Thank you for sticking up for me," Joe said, after the front door had closed behind Charity.

"Of course. You're my nephew."

Joe shook his head. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me, after what I did."

"I could never hate you, Joseph," said Zoe sincerely. "You're all I've got left of your father."

"And Noah," Joe pointed out.

"Yes, and Noah." Zoe looked in the direction Charity had gone, frowning. She had thought she could hear Chris's voice, for a moment.

"Are you alright?" Joe asked, concerned. He recognised the symptoms of his aunt not taking her medication.

"Fine."

...

 _2002_

 _"Look at all these toys, Joseph!" gushed Charity._

 _Joseph shrugged as he looked around the toy section. They were in a shopping centre in Leeds. Charity had taken him out for the day at Chris's request, so Joseph and his stepmother could 'get to know each other'. They'd got a cab into Leeds and Charity had promised that Joseph could choose anything he wanted, but he didn't want anything from her. It was his dad's money anyway._

 _Charity sighed at Joseph's lack of enthusiasm. "Well, if you see anything you like..." She left Joseph to look at the toy trucks while she wandered over to the nearby makeup counter._

 _Since Charity had moved in with Joseph and his dad, Joseph's Auntie Zoe had moved out and she and his daddy were arguing a lot. Joseph had overheard some of the arguments but didn't understand what they were about. He wished that Charity would just go away and things could go back to how they were before._

 _There was another woman browsing the makeup, a pretty dark haired lady who looked older than Charity, but was better dressed. She was wearing a long camel coloured coat and had a kind face, a bit like Joseph's mother in photos his dad had shown him. On impulse he went up to her and tugged on her coat._

 _She turned with a surprised smile. "Hello?"_

 _"I'm lost," he whispered. "I can't find my dad."_

 _"Oh..." The lady looked around. "Don't worry. Let's see if we can find him." She took Joseph's hand and led him around the store. "Can you see him anywhere?" Joseph shook his head._

 _"What does your daddy look like?"_

 _Joseph thought. "He has brown hair and blue eyes..."_

 _"Er, excuse me?" Charity had seen them and came over to grab Joseph's arm. "What do you think you're doing with him?"_

 _"Oh, is this your mum?" the lady asked Joseph. He shook his head._

 _"I don't know her."_

 _"Don't be stupid, Joseph," Charity snapped. "Come on..." She attempted to pull him away but Joseph clung to the other woman's hand._

 _"I think we should fetch security..."_

 _"Look, he's with me, alright?" Charity insisted. The security guard had already seen the commotion and was heading over._

 _"Is there a problem?" he asked in a broad Leeds accent._

 _"This little boy says he's lost..." The pretty lady glanced at Joseph._

 _"He's not lost, he's with me," shouted Charity, losing her temper completely._

 _"And you are?" the guard asked the pretty lady._

 _"Ellen White. He just came up to me..."_

 _"What's your name, son?" asked the security guard, bending down so that he was at eye level with Joseph._

 _"Joseph Mark Tate," he replied._

 _"And did you come here with her?" He pointed at Charity._

 _Joseph shook his head again. "I don't know who she is."_

 _"You little liar!" Charity was verging on hysteria. "I'm Charity Tate. I'm his stepmother. Tell him, Joseph..."_

 _But Joseph kept his eyes on the floor, refusing to say any more._

 _"Do you have any ID?" the guard asked her._

 _"Well no, not on me..." Charity grabbed Joseph by the shoulders. "Stop playing games, Joseph. Tell the truth!" She was shouting in his face._

 _"OK. I think you'd better step away, Madam..." The guard nodded at another uniformed colleague, who seized Charity by the arms and began dragging her away._

 _"Joseph Tate!" she screamed. "I am your stepmother. Tell the truth. Your dad's gonna be really cross..." She was still raging as she was dragged into a small room behind the till._

 _"Thanks, we'll take it from here," the guard told the lady, who nodded and smiled at Joseph as she went back to shopping._

 _"Come and sit in the office. We'll make an announcement." The guard took Joseph into a separate room to Charity and gave him some biscuits while an announcement was read over the tannoy, asking the parents of Joseph Tate to come to Till 11. When nobody came, the guard asked if Joseph had a number he could call his dad on. Joseph gave him his dad's mobile number, which Chris had forced him to memorise in case of an emergency. He listened as the nice guard dialled the number._

 _"Hello, is that Mr Tate? I'm calling from Leeds Shopping Centre. I've got a little boy here... yes, Joseph. He said he was lost... Yes, the woman he was with did say she was his stepmother, but he denied it... I'm afraid you'll have to come here and bring some ID..."_

 _It was another half an hour before Chris finally wheeled into the little room. "Joseph!" he said, sounding relieved, as Joseph ran to hug him. He looked at the security guard. "Where's my wife?"_

 _"Did you bring ID?"_

 _Chris showed him his driving licence and a photo he kept in his wallet of himself, Zoe and Joseph. The guard let them go, Chris thanking him for being so diligent._

 _Charity wasn't too happy as she was finally allowed out of the room she had been contained in. "I suppose you think that was funny?" she asked Joseph._

 _Chris, far from being cross, found the whole thing hilarious. "It was just a little prank, wasn't it, Joseph?" he said, ruffling his son's hair. "I did the same thing to my dad once..."_

 _"I could have been arrested," Charity snapped. "Banged up for kidnap..."_

 _"Nonsense, it wouldn't have come to that."_

 _"It's no good Chris, we'll have to find a school for him..."_

 _They continued to bicker, Joseph practically skipping as he followed his dad to the disabled parking space. It had been a good day after all._


	9. I Shall Believe

_2003_

 _Joseph walked down the corridor to the headmaster's office, his heart jumping a little. He had been informed that he wasn't required to attend classes today and to report to the headmaster instead. He hoped he wasn't in trouble._

 _He tapped on the office door and his headmaster called, "Come in!" Joseph pushed the door open and his expression changed from nervousness to delight when he saw that his father was in the room, together with his Aunt Zoe, who was rocking baby Jean in her arms._

 _"Daddy!" Joseph ran and threw his arms around Chris, who hugged him back._

 _"Hello, Joseph," Zoe greeted him, still soothing Jean. "We've come to take you out for the day."_

 _"Is that allowed?" Joseph looked at the headmaster, who nodded. There was something like pity in his eyes._

 _"Come and see your cousin, Joseph," said Zoe brightly. Joseph went to look at the baby, who was tiny and pink-faced, with jet black hair. He hadn't seen her since the day of her christening._

 _"Hello, Jeanie," said Joseph solemnly, taking Jean's finger in a sort of handshake._

 _"Why don't you show us round your school, Joseph?" suggested Chris. He looked older than when Joseph had last seen him and there was something sad in his expression._

 _"OK," said Joseph, after looking at the headmaster for confirmation._

 _"I'll be here in my office," said the headmaster. "Joseph can show you... most areas." He glanced at Chris's wheelchair._

 _Joseph led his father and aunt in a guided tour of the building, keeping their voices down outside the classrooms where lessons were carrying on as normal. He showed them his dormitory, and Zoe gasped over how modern and spacious it was. Chris was strangely quiet._

 _It was a nice day for September, so they sat outside at lunchtime and had a picnic that Auntie Zoe had packed. "I'll just take Jean for a little walk," said Zoe, when the baby started stirring. She gave Chris a meaningful look before leaving him alone with his son._

 _"So, Joseph..." Chris began and Joseph felt a sense of awkwardness that had never been there before. "Do you like your school?"_

 _"Yeah," said Joseph through a mouthful of sandwich. "Where's Charity?" he asked suddenly. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to see his stepmother, it just seemed odd that she and Debbie weren't here with the rest of the family._

 _Chris's expression darkened. "Charity and I are no longer together," he explained._

 _"Oh." Joseph swallowed the rest of his sandwich. "Does that mean you're getting divorced?"_

 _Chris hesitated. "Something like that, yes."_

 _Joseph wondered if that was why his dad had come to see him today, to tell him about Charity._

 _"Are you sad about Charity?" he asked, reaching for a banana._

 _"Not about Charity, no." Chris seemed to be fighting back tears, to Joseph's alarm. He had only seen his dad cry once before, when he'd seen that Joseph was safe after the bus crash in the village._

 _"You don't really remember your mum, do you?" Chris asked._

 _"No." Joseph shook his head. He had only vague memories of the blonde woman he had seen in photos. He knew that she had been killed by a bad man called Graham, another vague memory._

 _"Well... she loved you. So do I." Chris seemed to be struggling to speak. "Remember that, whatever you may hear."_

 _"OK," said Joseph, still eating. "I love you too, Daddy."_

 _Chris smiled as Zoe returned. Jean was now in a better mood. The family spent the rest of the afternoon looking around the area until it was time to return Joseph to school. He said goodbye to his aunt, who suddenly looked teary, then hugged his dad, who said over his shoulder, "Remember what I said."_

 _"OK," said Joseph. He waved to them as the car departed before his teacher led him back to his dorm._

 _The next day he went back to his classes as normal, and had nearly forgotten about the previous day until he got the phone call from Aunt Zoe. His father was dead, and Charity had been arrested for his murder._

...

Joe wheeled his chair manually through the village cemetery. Zoe followed behind him until he reached the grave they were looking for, 'Francis Ronald Tate' spelled out across the top, with 'Christopher Tate' below.

"Hi Dad. Hi, Chris." Zoe bent down and placed the flowers she had brought with her. "I'm here, with Joseph..."

"I should have come sooner," Joe admitted, a lump in his throat. "I could never bring myself to..."

Zoe got up and came to stand behind Joe. Her eyes moved briefly to the grave marked 'Liam Hammond' nearby. "I know it's difficult."

Joe read the inscription below his father's name:

 _He wanted much, he began much_

 _Till the whirlwind carried him away_

"I miss him, Zoe," Joe said quietly, his eyes on the words which summed up his father.

"I know." Zoe placed her hand on Joe's shoulder. "Me too."

"You think he'd be disappointed in me?"

"Of course not." Zoe looked at her nephew, startled. "He'd be proud."

"What's there to be proud of?"

"How well you've coped with your injury. Your business, buying back Home Farm. Getting to know your brother."

For a while they stayed there in silence, the only noises being the wind and the sounds of birds in the background.

"It's peaceful here," said Joe finally.

"Do you want to go and visit your mum, while we're here?"

Joe nodded. Zoe took hold of the handlebars behind his wheelchair and steered him over to Rachel Hughes' grave.

"Devoted mother of Joseph," Joe read off the grave.

"She was." Zoe nodded. "And a loyal friend..."

"I don't remember her." Joe looked at the dates on the grave. "She was only 27. Four years older than I am..."

He let the unfairness of it all sink in as he wiped his face.

"Come on." Zoe squeezed Joe's shoulder. "I could do with a drink in the Woolpack."

Joe nodded. "I'll come back, Mum."

He turned his chair around and followed Zoe out of the cemetery.


	10. Wrecking Ball

"You're not supposed to be using those yet!" Zoe gasped, as Joe entered the kitchen on crutches.

"Relax, Auntie Zoe, I'm just trying them out." After weeks of physiotherapy, Joe was able to stand now, but only for short periods of time.

"The car's ready." Graham entered through the back door, looking from Joe to Zoe. "I'll start putting your things in the boot."

"Thank you." Zoe looked at her suitcases. She had been reluctant to leave Joe, but it was time to return to New Zealand and Jean. "You will keep in touch, won't you?" she asked Joe.

"Of course. Give my love to Jean. I'll come and visit soon."

"That would be wonderful." Zoe smiled.

"And I'm going back into work tomorrow." Joe looked at Graham. "I've got some ideas about what to do with the quarry."

"Don't rush your recovery," said Zoe, eyeing Joe's crutches.

"Don't worry," Graham spoke up. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"I know you will." Zoe hugged Joe, then turned to Graham.

"Zoe," he said quietly in acknowledgment.

"Stop with the emotional displays Graham, you're embarrassing her," said Joe.

Zoe rolled her eyes and said, " _Just_ like his father," as Graham picked up her bags to carry out to the car.

...

 _2013_

 _"Why don't I come with you and Jean?"_

 _Lara was watching Zoe gather up her bag and keys, ready for a day's shopping._

 _"I promised Jean some quality time, just the two of us." Zoe pulled out a mirror and applied lipstick._

 _"She won't mind if I come along. She likes me."_

 _"Of course she does." Zoe put the lipstick back in her bag. "I'd rather you stayed here, kept Joseph company. He doesn't really have any friends here." As far as she knew, Graham was Joe's only friend._

 _Lara nodded reluctantly as Joe walked into the hall, looking amused. "I don't need a babysitter, Auntie Zoe."_

 _"I'll be back this evening. Once I've dropped Jean at her friend's house." Zoe called up the stairs. "Jean! You ready?"_

 _"Coming!" Jean ran down the stairs, hair flying behind her, looking, as ever, like a miniature version of her mother._

 _"Enjoy your girly time." Joe watched his cousin open the front door and head out to the car. "We'll be fine, won't we Lara?"_

 _Lara forced a smile as Zoe kissed her goodbye. "See you later."_

 _Lara watched the car drive away as Joe wandered into the lounge. Zoe seemed to be finding excuses lately not to spend time with her. They had only been together a few months. It had been a shock to Lara, who had always liked men, to find that she was attracted to her female boss. Zoe had been honest with her about her mental health problems and the circumstances of her daughter's conception. Lara was happy to get to know Jean, but babysitting Zoe's orphaned teenage nephew seemed beyond the call of duty._

 _She went into the lounge and found Joe pouring himself a measure of whisky, his shirt unbuttoned at the top. "Drink?" Joe asked. Lara raised an eyebrow. "It's okay, I am 18."_

 _"It's a little early for me." Lara's kiwi accent strengthened in her amusement. It was barely past midday._

 _"Shot of whisky before I dive in the pool. Always works for me."_

 _"You're going swimming?"_

 _"Haven't got anything else planned for today. You can join me if you want. Unless you've got somewhere else to be."_

 _"No, there's nowhere else I'm needed." Lara shook her head. "I suppose one drink won't hurt."_

 _Joe poured her a glass and handed it to her. "Thanks. I appreciate you keeping me company. To be honest I only spend holidays here, it doesn't really feel like home."_

 _"I've never been to England." Lara settled on one of the sofas and Joe sat down beside her._

 _"I was ten, when Zoe moved us here. Pretty soon I was begging her to let me go back to school there."_

 _"What will you do now you've finished?"_

 _"Stay in England, start my own business. I've got my inheritance from my father now."_

 _"Zoe said you were an entrepreneur." Lara took a sip of whisky._

 _"Or I could just become a professional swimmer." Joe gave her a self-deprecating smile._

 _"You probably could." Lara had observed him swimming a few days ago. "You're pretty fast in the water."_

 _"Dad always used to take me swimming. Before the accident, you know, when he lost the use of his legs." Joe sighed, suddenly looking vulnerable. "We'd race each other. Mum would be there, cheering us on..."_

 _Lara nodded sympathetically. Zoe hadn't told her much about Joe's parents. "You must miss them."_

 _"Aunt Zoe did her best bringing me up, but well, she's got her own problems." Joe let that statement hang._

 _"I know. She told me all about her condition."_

 _"It's hard seeing her when she gets like that... Not that she's not stable now." Joe added quickly._

 _Lara felt uncomfortable talking about Zoe when she wasn't here. She sipped some more of her drink._

 _"Anyway, enough about us Tates." Joe downed his drink and put the glass down on the nearby table, his hand brushing against Lara's knee. "Tell me all about you."_

...

Graham held the door to Waterhouse International open as Joe whizzed his wheelchair through. They went up in the lift to the familiar offices, where the company employees were working at their desks or standing around talking. The volume decreased as Joe and Graham appeared, and there were a few hushed whispers at the sight of Joe's chair.

"Assemble the minions," Joe muttered to Graham. "I want to say something."

"Are you sure?" Graham asked. Joe nodded and Graham raised his voice. "Could everybody gather around, please. Mr Waterhouse has an announcement to make."

Joe's employees got up or walked over, exchanging looks as they came to stand in front of Joe and Graham.

"I know what you're all thinking," said Joe, once all the staff were assembled. "I need a haircut." There was a murmur of polite laughter.

"In all seriousness, I appreciate all the messages of concern and I thank Graham for keeping things running in my absence. But I'm back now, and don't think any of you can slack off just because I can't chase you. I've got a massive new project that Waterhouse International is working on, details to be revealed soon, so noses to the grindstone. I'll be in my office."

With that Joe manoeuvred his chair towards his office door. Graham dismissed the employees, who went straight back to work.

Joe wheeled behind his desk and picked up some papers there, about a new outdoor swimming pool development in the village. The quarry would soon be put to good use.

"Right," he said as Graham entered his office. "Let's get down to business."


End file.
